A sugar skull is not a scary skull. It is a celebration drawn in flowers: marigold petals around the eyes, a crown of blooms, a smile that means someone is remembered with love. These seven pages keep that spirit — crowned skulls, heart-eyed skulls, a skeleton cat and a skeleton dog in their festival dress, a girl with painted flowers in her hair, and two skeletons caught mid-dance. Colour them bright: marigold orange, hot pink, turquoise and purple are the colours of the day, and there is no wrong way to wear them.
Sugar Skulls with Flowers
Start with the crowned skull, its brow ringed with marigold blooms, and the heart-eyed skull, smiling through flowers. A sugar skull is made to remember someone loved on Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead on 1–2 November, so talk about who you are remembering before you colour. The crowned skull and the heart-eyed skull have large open areas that suit ages 3–5, while the girl with painted flowers in her hair and the butterfly skull have finer flower detail for ages 6–8.
Skeleton Pets
The skeleton pets are the friendliest pages in the set: a skeleton cat in a flower crown and a skeleton dog in a bow tie, both dressed for the festival. Their large open areas suit ages 3–5, so they make a good first page for a child who wants to join in without the fiddly bits.
Dancing Skeletons
Last in the set, two skeletons dance together under a swirl of music notes, flowers at their feet. It is the liveliest page, with finer flower detail that suits ages 6–8 — and a good reminder that Día de los Muertos is a celebration, with music and dancing, not a costume.
How to print (A4 and US Letter)
Print the PDF single-sided on A4 or US Letter at 100% scale, so the lines stay crisp. Markers and coloured pencils suit the fine flower detail best, and crayons work well for the larger skulls. Try a festival palette of marigold orange, hot pink, purple and turquoise — then let children choose their own colours.
